Hydroframe for water surface craft



Feb. 13, 1968 N. A. FROST 3,368,511

HYDROFRAME FOR WATER SURFACE CRAFT Filed May 2, 1966 INVENTOR. NELSON A. FROST BY Cliguca 32m;

ATTORNEY United States Patent ()fifice 3,368,511 HYDROFRAME FOR WATER SURFACE CRAFT Nelson A. Frost, 136 N. Main St, Port Chester, N.Y. 10573 Filed May 2, 1966, Ser. No. 546,799 6 Claims. (Cl. 114-665) ABSTRACT OF THE DHSCLOSURE A water surface craft with an unsupported interior and longitudinal beams extending from bow to stem functioning as hydrofoil elements upon attainment of a certain water speed.

The present invention relates to a hydroframe for a water surface craft and more particularly to an exterior supporting or structural frame for a water craft that is so constructed and arranged as to become hydrofoil elements upon the attainment of predetermined speeds of the craft in the water.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a water surface craft which may be utilized for cargo or passenger service in which the interior surface is devoid of all structural framework and supporting members.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide spaced combination frame and hydrofoil elements that are enclosed to form an air chamber under the bottom of the craft when the latter is elevated on to the hydrofoils to thereby impart an additional lift to the craft.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an exterior supporting or structural frame that function as hydrofoils and which are superior in strength and stability to known hydrofoil craft.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide hydrofoils, each of which are in the form of an inverted V and which function to create a further air lift effect when the craft is powered to a condition where the hydrofoil elements are in operation.

The above and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the water surface craft embodying my novel hydroframe.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the craft illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of hydrofoil 26.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the present invention relates to a water surface craft or vessel referred to generally by the numeral 10. The craft may be utilized for cargo or passenger use, and constitutes an interior area 12 which is completely open and devoid of the usual longitudinal and cross-member framework which supports the skin or exterior planking 14 of a craft.

The exterior supporting structural frame for the water craft 10 takes the form of a series of longitudinally extending H-shaped beams 16, preferably being three in number and preferably extending along the entire length of the bottom of the craft, as seen in FIG. 2.

The legs 18 of each of the beams 16 are secured to the bottom of the water craft by any suitable means, such as welding or bolts. The center portion 20 of each of the beams 18 is a cross-framework construction having a solid flange 22 extending downward a short distance and covering the upper part of center portion 20. The other legs 24 of the H-shaped beams 16 are of a fiat, ski shape on one side to form a hydrofoil surface 26 for planing on the water surface when the craft is under power.

3,368,511 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 Secured to the exterior skin 14 of the craft and on each side thereof, is an outrigger, cross-framework support 28 for the sides of the craft and has an inverted V-shape lower hydrofoil surface 30 for additional planing on the surface of the water after the craft has attained a certain speed and the same is planing on the hydrofoil surface 26. When the craft planes on the hydrofoil surface 30 the same is considerably lifted out of the water with the H-shaped beams themselves being out of direct contact with the Water. Preferably, the shorter hydrofoil 26 elevates at least part of the craft 5 feet out of the water while the longer hydrofoil 30 elevates at least part of the craft 10 feet out of the water. Covering at least the exterior of each of the supports 28 is a flange 32 which extends down the supports 28 a sufiicient distance to create an air pocket in the area identified by the arrow A when the craft has lifted off and rides on hydrofoil surfaces 30. The air pocket P gives an aerodynamic lift to the craft thereby permitting better planing of said craft.

The hydrofoils 26 and 30 are shown in the form of an inverted V with the legs 30a being longer than the legs 3%. The effect of these inverted V hydrofoils is to create an air pocket in the portions shown as P to thereby create an air lift under the hydrofoils when the craft has achieved a certain predetermined speed and the hydrofoils are partly out of the water. This construction further assists in the propulsion of the craft.

The hydrofoils 30 on each side of the craft may be lowered and elevated from the full line position to the dotted line position and vice versa by means of a hydraulic piston-cylinder combination 40, as seen in FIG. 1. The hydrofoils 30 are pivoted as a unit at pivot point 42. Thus, when full speed is achieved by the water craft, the secondary hydrofoils 30 are lowered by the piston-cylinder 40 to a position where the hydrofoils are flat relative to the surface of the water thereby aiding in the planing effect of the craft on the water.

What I claim is:

1. A water craft comprising an interior unsupported boat shell, an exterior structural framework entirely supporting said shell, and a plurality of I-I-shaped beams extending longitudinally of said shell from the bow to the stern and constituting hydrofoil elements upon the attainment of a predetermined speed of the craft in the water.

2. A water craft as claimed in claim 1 wherein two sets of hydrofoil elements are utilized, one set being H-shaped beams extending longitudinally of said shell and the other set being outrigger supporting members provided with hydrofoil elements, the latter depending downwardly more than said H-shaped beams.

3. A water craft as claimed in claim 2 further comprising flanges on said outrigger supporting members and on the adjacent, spaced H-shaped beams whereby upon the attainment of a certain predetermined speed of the craft an air pocket is formed between said flanges and under the craft hull in order to impart an additional air lift to said craft.

4. A water craft as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least two additional hydrofoil elements on opposite outrigger sides of the craft and each in the form of an inverted V-shaped element, and each of said outrigger hydrofoil elements being provided with one longer outside leg of said inverted V-shaped element.

5. A water craft as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hydrofoil elements are inclined in the direction from the bow to the stern of the craft.

6. A water craft as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a piston-cylinder combination, and at least a pair of said hydrofoil elements being pivotally connected to 3 4 said exterior structural framework whereby said hydro- 3,081,728 3/1963 Witterdink et a1 11466.5 foil elements may be selectively lowered and elevated. 1,131,261 6/1964 Noe 11466.5

References Cited FOREIGN T P UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 502,764 3/ 1939 Great Bntam.

1,444,491 2/1923 Baldwin 114-66.5 ANDREW H. FARRELL, Primary Examiner.

1,630,623 5/1927 Ludasy 11466.5 

